Vancouver Exercise Options on Eight

Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that they have exercised the 2013 contract options on eight players from the 2012 roster: goalkeeper Brad Knighton, defenders Jordan Harvey, Greg Klazura, Young-Pyo Lee, and Carlyle Mitchell, midfieldersGershon Koffie, Jun Marques Davidson, and Matt Watson. The club also confirmed that they have declined next year’s options on midfielders Michael Nanchoff and John Thorrington.

Vancouver maintains the right of first refusal on Nanchoff in Major League Soccer, while Thorrington may be eligible for selection in the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft Process. However, Whitecaps FC may still sign Thorrington or he may opt out of Re-Entry Process before 2 p.m. PT on Thursday, December 6.

The Stage One draft of the Re-Entry Process will take place on Friday, December 7, at 12 p.m. PT, and the Stage Two draft will take place on Friday, December 14, at 12 p.m. PT. The two drafts will take place via teleconference with all 19 clubs represented.

Both Stage One and Stage Two drafts will be conducted in the same order as the traditional Waiver Draft, with Whitecaps FC selecting tenth. For more information on the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft Process and Player Eligibility Rules visit pressbox.mlssoccer.com.

Nanchoff, 24, joined Whitecaps FC after being selected in the first-round (eighth overall) of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. In two seasons with Vancouver, the native of North Royalton, Ohio, had made 14 MLS regular season appearances.

Thorrington, 33, joined Vancouver after being selected in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft from Chicago Fire in November 2010. During his two seasons with Whitecaps FC, the product of Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, has made 30 MLS regular season appearances.